“Fantasticks” composer will remain easy to remember

YORK» Harvey NEW Schmidt, the composer of “The Fantasticks,” which made its debut when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and became the longest running musical in history, died Wednesday. He was 88.

His death was confirmed by Dan Demello, a publicist for the off-broadway show.

Schmidt teamed up with lyricist, director and storywriter Tom Jones on “The Fantasticks” as well as the Broadway shows “110 in the Shade” and “I Do! I Do!” Both men were inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Try to Remember,” the best-known song of “The Fantasticks,” has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the decades — including by Ed Ames, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand and Placido Domingo.

“Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “They Were You” are also among the musical’s most recognized songs.

The musical, based on an obscure play by Edmond Rostand, doesn’t necessarily have the makings of a hit. The set is just a platform with poles, a curtain and a wooden box. The tale, a mock version of “Romeo and Juliet,” concerns a young girl and boy secretly brought together by their fathers and an assortment of odd characters.

Schmidt, who came to New York from Dallas, wrote the melody of “Try to Remember” in only five minutes. Schmidt told Michael Riedel in his book “Razzle Dazzle” that he had rented a rehearsal room in the Steinway Building because he couldn’t afford to own a piano.

“It was a hot day, there was no air conditioning, and I was tired,” he recalled. “I had a few minutes rehearsal time left, and I didn’t want to waste them. So I just put my hands on the piano and thought I’ll just play a simple song. I played ‘Try to Remember’ from start to finish without changing a note. But I didn’t know it was my song. I’d been to Europe that summer and I just assumed it was a folk song I’d heard along the way.”

A few days later, he played it for Jones, who thought it would work well in “The Fantasticks.”

The show closed in 2002, but was revived before finally closing in 2017 after a total of 21,552 shows.